Tis the season for harvesting maple sap, and this discovery inside a Little Free Library in Illinois came at the perfect time for me. Years ago, I tried harvesting sap from the Silver Maple in the front yard of my Wisconsin home—I had no spile, so I fenagled one out of an old curtain rod—and it made about a quarter cup of syrup.

This year in Minnesota, we’ve gone all out (at least on a small scale). The owner of the land has tapped 15 trees, and so far we’ve harvested over 60 gallons. We’re getting hit with another snowstorm as we speak, so we’ll probably get another 20 gallons or so over the next few days. All told, we might be able to process 6-7 quarts of syrup, and maybe more! I can’t wait!

Reading this book during my first intentional maple-syrup season was an awesome coincidence. Though just a cursory glance at the history, process, and culture of maple syrup, Janet Eagleson’s book answered a lot of my questions in a clear yet brief manner, and Rosemary Hasner’s photographs kept the information lively and exciting. Eagleson ends the book with a number of recipes that we’re definitely going to try (including maple pecans and maple salmon), as well as a brief index, making this book a good addition to a homeschool library or a resource for any student’s study of “liquid gold.”

What I liked most was finding the Flavor Wheel for Maple Products, something I had no idea actually existed. With 13 categories (like Vanilla, Foreign, or Fruity) and 39 subcategories (like butter, sawdust, and cloves), this flavor wheel touches on virtually every possible hint of flavor one might taste in a bite of unique maple syrup. It’s not just about the color! And while I know that our harvest is definitely “Dark,” I have yet to taste it to find out what shades of flavor it contains. My mouth is watering at the mere thought of it!

I’m thrilled to have had a hand in harvesting this year, I’m excited to taste the “juice” of our labor, and I’m totally happy that I had this book as a small companion throughout the process. It’s a great book for anyone with a passing interest in this delicacy and art from pre-Columbian America!

©2021 E.T.

Check Out More Books on Food and Cooking:

• The Maple Syrup Book by Janet Eagleson and Tosemary Hasner (2006)
• The Bizarre Truth by Andrew Zimmern (2009)
• Love Food and Live Well by Chantel Hobbs (2010)
• Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World of Food by Andrew Zimmern (2011)
• Scars of a Chef by Rick Tramonto with Lisa Jackson (2011)
• My Pizza by Jim Lahey (2012)
• Weeknights with Giada by Giada de Laurentiis (2012)
• Asian Pickles: Japan by Karen Solomon (2014)
• Food a Love Story by Jim Gaffigan (2014)
• Huangjiu: Traditional Chinese Liquor by Shu Guo (2021)